UDEME
©Kikelomo Fadugbagbe
Episode 1
Udeme ran as fast as she could, her heart beating faster at the screams of her mate who were being circumcised.
She has grown a phobia for it at age twelve, and the death of her sister was a result of the act. She had sworn never to go under the evil blade all days of her life.
She kept running until she passed out. She opened her eyes in a room looking so strange to her. She looked here and there in fear.
“Thank God you’re awake”
The young Samaritan man who rescued her said as he passed a cup of water to her.
“Please, drink,” He said.
Udeme nodded her head in disapproval to his kind gesture.
“Drink I won’t harm you”
“I don’t know you, how did I get here,” Udeme asked
“I saw you lying lifelessly in a bushy part. I was coming from work then, so I decided to help you”
“Thank you. But I still want to know more.”
The young man smiled. “I’m Jesse by name, I’m a copper, I was posted to this village weeks ago, I’m teaching in one of the community schools”
There was a satisfactory look on the face of Udeme
“So young lady can you tell me about yourself and what happened to you.”
“My name is Udeme, I’m running from my stepmother, she wants me to be circumcised. And is the same act that killed my sister. I don’t want to die” She started crying
“What! Female Genital Mutilation in this 21st century? anyway stop crying, is your father aware and where is your mother”
“Both are dead, I’m staying with my stepmother.”
“I see. Now that I know you, I want you to put your mind at rest, you can always come here anything she tries to put you up for such act, instead of running, Is that taking.”
She nodded in agreement. Jesse wiped her tears. He offered her some food before he saw her off to her house.
“You have to go back from here my step mum must not see you.”
“Is ok, I will go back, I wouldn’t want to put you in trouble.” He smiled at her and turned to live, while Udeme walked back quietly into the house. She received the worst beating of her life that night.
“Where did you run to? Tell me” Mama Mazi wiped her at each question.
“This is the third time you are escaping from getting circumcised, After dealing with you today, you will never try that again with me in your life” She stopped the beating and started punching her.
“Mama leave me alone, I don’t want to die,” Udeme said shouting.
“Chimo, you now have the gut to talk back at me. Who told you it kills, oh you think that was what killed your sister. It was the fever that killed her not the circumcision. Get that right.
Mazi, Ekene,” she called her sons “Come and carry this idiot girl for me.”
Maxi held her hands, and Ekene held her legs, as she continued with the brutality.
“Mama, she not crying again o,” Maxi said
“Drop her,” Udeme became unconscious “Udeme wake up” Mama Maxi tapped her continually.
“Udeme wake up see have dropped the cane” They stared at one another as blood drooled from her mouth.
“Mama you have killed someone”
To be continued…
